Daiwa Fishing Tackle

Question:
Would love to hear comments on the various benefits/drawbacks of Shimano and Abu Garcia casting reels for bass fishing. I've heard Abu Garcia's quality has suffered lately. Have never owned a Shimano. Don't want to make an expensive mistake.

Answer:
ABU-Garcia is sort of the General Motors of bait casting reels. You can buy a Chevy (Ambassador 4600, 5000, 5500, 6000, 6500, 7000) or you can buy an Oldsmobile (S series) or a Buick (SM series) or a Cadillac (the new UC series). They have been around for a long time and are considered the standard by which freshwater bait casting reels are judged. Like most popular products, the quality of the materials used in their low-end lines has gone down while they try to keep the price low enough to compete with the other reels in the $50 - $75 range. At the same time, they have introduced a lot of new high-end models in the last few years, to compete with Daiwa & Shimano, and they have had the usual problems one has with new models. Daiwa and Shimano are sort of the Nissan and Toyota of fishing tackle. Daiwa makes the Team Daiwa reels, which are well liked by many anglers, but are a bit overpriced, IMHO. Shimano seems to be the current favorite for making the best quality bait casters on the market, at least at the higher end, reels that cost over $75. The Citica, Curado, Calcutta, and Chronarch are highly regarded by virtually everyone. The reason for this is probably Shimanos great expertise in manufacturing bearings, shafts, and gears. So, if you are going to pay $90 or more for a reel, Shimano is probably the way to go. If you're looking for a reel in the $50 - $75 range, the Shimanos in that range tend to fall off quickly in available features. The Coriolis, at $65, isn't bad, but I wouldn't buy anything below that.